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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · bank · chair · pound · wind · wave · net · rock

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. net — in sport
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rock — music
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bank — for money
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pound — a weight
  13. net — for catching
  14. bank — of a river
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. net — after costs
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com